Sing-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling

The Quatchis and I spent our last day in Singapore at the Botanic Gardens. It is such a beautiful place! I would definitely go back. The Quatchis look so small in front of this massive tree!

Ah...this tree is more fitting for their size!

Q in front of Singapore's national flower.

Mini Q stopping to smell the orchids in the National Orchird Garden.

A new 好友!

Sing-a-ling-a-ling

Claudia and I met a few summers ago while interning at the United Nations in New York. This is the view from her apartment. It was fantastic to see Claudia again! She also embraced the Quatchis with open arms.

The Quatchis relaxing at the apartment while I figured out what to do for the day. I like how they cross their legs in the same direction!

 

Mini Q in Chinatown. We ate some delicious Buddist fare at one of the local temples.

 

Q telling me he wants to check out the Thian Hock Ken Temple! It is the oldest and most important Taoist temple in Singapore.

 

The Quatchis in front of the Merlion - the mascot of Singapore.

 

I am a sucker for museums, and the Asian Civilisations Museum did not disappoint! I did a free guided tour for an hour, and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around with the Quatchis in tow. Q liked this modern take on the Terracotta Army.

 

Mini Q was so happy to see some of the Terracotta Warriors! Q got to visit them in Xi'an last year (see photos here).

Sing-a-ling

So we're back and we have lots of photos to share from our adventures in Asia. We had a great time exploring Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The Quatchis made some good friends along the way too.

On day one of our trip, we flew Air Canada from YYZ >> HKG >> SIN. It was a long haul - 19 hours - but at least the flights were on time and the connections were easy peasy. We lucked out from YYZ to HKG - we had the whole row of seats to ourselves!

In the morning we explored Little India. There wasn't much action going on. Usually Serangoon Road is bustling with activity.

We then headed to Arab Street to check out the Sultan's Mosque, local merchants, and to have lunch.

The weather was hot and humid, so we spent most of the afternoon in the shopping malls. At night time, we walked all over Marina Square. The night view was fantastic!

 

We ended the night at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel. No trip is complete to Singapore without a Singapore Sling! It was probably the most expensive drink I've ever bought, but totally worth it! The Quatchis also enjoyed the live music.

What a great first day in Singapore!